Toothbrush holder



April 17, 1951 MOTE 2,549,115

TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER Filed March 29, 1947 Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,549,115 Y TOOTH BRUSH HOLDER Lewis Charles Mote, Qttumwa, Iowa I g 7 Application March 29, 1947, Serial No. 738,164

4 Claims. 1

The principal object of my invention is to provide a holding device for tooth brushes, that is sanitary, easily cleaned, and capable of quick attachment to a supporting wall.

A further object of this invention is. to provide a hooded tooth brush holder that is easily manually manipulated at the time a brush is removed therefrom or replaced.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a tooth brush holder that will accommodate a number of brushes, is substantially dust-proof, and one that will hold the various brushes in spaced relationship.

Still further objects of this invention are to provide a tooth brush holder that is economical in manufacture, durable in use, and attractive inv appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my tooth brush holder.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section view of the device taken on line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the tooth brush holder and more fully illustrates its construction.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the base portion of my tooth brush holder.

There are a good number of tooth brush holders on the market, but in many instances they hold only one tooth brush, are not handy for the withdrawal or replacement of the brush, and cannot be easily and quickly cleaned. I have overcome such objections, as will herein be appreciated.

Referring to the drawings, I have used the numeral ID to designate the back portion of my device. The numeral ll designates a horizontal shelf secured to the lower forward side of the back portion l0. These two portions may be of one piece and constructed of plastic, wood, metal, clay, glass, or like material. The numerals i2 and I3 designate two parallel vertical grooves formed in the forward side of the back portion. These two grooves are near the two side ends of the back portion, respectively, as shown in the drawings, and register with two parallel horizontal grooves l4 and I5, respectively, in the top of the shelf portion, as shown in Fig. 4.

At the outer side of the groove i4 is a bar i6 on the top of the shelf portion, having its inner side wall registering with the groove, as shown in Fig. 3. A similar bar I1 is on the outer side of the groove l5, having its inner side registering therewith, and on the shelf portion. The numerals l8 and I9 designate a depression in the inner sides of the two bars l6 and I1, respectively. The numerals 20 and 2| designate similar bars on the forward side of the back portion l0, having their inner sides registering with the vertical grooves I 2 and I3 respectively. These four bar portions may be integrally formed with the back and shelf portions if desired. The numeral 22 designates slit openings in the forward edge portion of the shelf I0, and between the two grooves l4 and I5 for receiving and holding tooth brushes 23. The hood-lid of the device consists of a curved central cover 24 and twosideportions 25 and 26, as shown in the drawings. The free edges of each of the side portions are cut at a right angle to form a vertical edge and a bottom horizontal edge when the cover lid is incl-osed position. The two sides of the cover lid are the same distance apart as the grooves l2 and 13 are apart and the same distance the grooves l4 and i5 are apart. The upper back portions of each of the sides of the cover are pierced by a bearing shaft 2'! extending from the top portion of the back 10. By this construction the cover lid is hinged at its rear top to the top of the back [0. When the cover is ina closed position the edges of its two sides will extend into the grooves, l2, l3, I4, and I5, thereby successfully sealing the sides of the device. The lower marginal edge portion of the lid portion 24 extends to a plane below the plane of the sides 25 and 26 in order to extend over the front edge of the shelf Ill and close the open ends of the slit openings 22.

The numerals 28 and 29 designate two outwardly extending tit lugs or mounds formed on the bottom portion of each of the sides 25 and 26, respectively. These two lugs snap into the depressions i8 and I9, respectively, when the cover is in a closed position, thereby frictionally normally holding the cover lid in a closed position against the action of the spring 30. This spring 30 embraces the shaft 21 and has one end secured to the back Ill and its other end secured to the cover lid for yieldingly holding the lid in an open position when the lugs 28 and 29 are not engaging the depressions l8 and I9. Either one or two springs 30 may be used. The numeral 31 designates keyhole slots in the back If for securing the device to a wall or like. The numeral 32 designates an air escape opening in the top portion of the back i and under the top of the cover. By this construction the front sides and top of the device are dust-proof, but air may pass up through the slit openings in the shelf and out the opening 32, thereby drying the brushes held on the shelf. The brushes to be held are manually placed sideways in the shelf slot openings. The bristles of the brushes will engage the top of the shelf, thereby supporting the bristle portion inside the holder and the handle below the holder, where it may be easily manually grasped. To open the cover lid portion of the device it, is merely necessary to grasp the sides of the cover with the finger and thumb and depress and spring the sides inwardly until the lugs are clear of the depressions l8 and I9, at

which time the spring or springs 3llwill move 4 ginal edges, a shelf member on said back portion having a plurality of slot opening-s, said shelf having upwardly extending bars secured to its marginal side edges, a hood lid hinged to said back portion capable of enclosing the to portion of said shelf and the major front protion of said back, and grooves adjacent to said bars secured to said back; said hood lid constructed to and capable of having its marginal edges embraced by said grooves when said hood lid is in the closed position.

3. In a tooth brush holder, a back portion having forwardly extending bars secured to its marginal edges, a shelf member on said back portion having a plurality of slot openings, said shelf having upwardly extending bars secured to its marginal side 'edges, a hood lid hinged to said the cover to an open position and yieldingly hold it there. With the cover open,'the brushes are on display and may be removed or replaced. Also, with the cover held open, it is a simple matter to clean or wash the shelf and back portion. To close the cover, it is merely necessary to force the cover downwardly until the lugs engage the depressions l8 and I 9. The cover lid may or may not be made of the same material as the parts ID and[ I.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved tooth ,brush holder Without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my. claims any. modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a tooth brush holder, a back portion having forwardly extending bars secured to its marginal edges, a shelf member on said back portion having a plurality of slot openings, said shelf having upwardly extending bars secured to its marginal side edges, a hood lid hinged to said back portion capable of enclosing the top portion of said shelf and the major front portion of said back, and grooves adjacent to said bars secured to said shelf and back; said hood lid constructed to and capable of having its marginal edges em-' braced by said grooves when said hood lid is in the closed position.

2. In a tooth brush holder, a back portion having forwardly extending bars secured to its marback portion capable of enclosing the top portion of said shelf and the major front portion of said back, and grooves adjacent to said bars secured to said shelf; said hood lid constructed to and capable of having its marginal edges embraced by said grooves when said hood lid is in the closed position. a

4. In a tooth brush holder, a back portion having forwardly extending bars secured to its marginal edges, a shelf member on said back ortion having aplurality of slot openings, said shelf having upwardly extending bars secured to its marginal side edges, a hood lid hinged to said back portion capable of enclosing the top portion of said shelf and the major front portion of said back, grooves adjacent to said bars secured to said shelf'and back, said hood lid constructed to and capable of having its marginal edges embraced by said grooves when said hood lid is in the closed position, a spring means yieldingly holding said hoodlid open, and a means for holding said hood lid closed at times.

I LEWIS CHARLES MOTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

1,669,1l3 Pocock May 8, 1928 

